Blackberry
"This is the magic trick now." ''- Bigwig about Blackberry's trick with boat. '''Blackberry' is a rabbit with characteristically black-tipped ears and a part of the group who left Sandleford Warren for Watership Down. Blackberry is very clever and cunning rabbit and can often come up with things that others can not. He realizes, for instance, that wood floats, and the rabbits use this tactic twice to traverse on water. But his ideas are often too difficult for other rabbits to understand, although Fiver always appreciates them at their true value. He is one of Hazel's most trusted advisors, given the task to plan for a way to rescue does from Efrafa. Blackberry is also a very good runner, that's why Hazel chose him to lead a dog to Watership Down. Book "I'm quite sure, myself, that if we don't change our natural ways we shan't be able to stay here very long." ''- Blackberry about digging burrows. In the book, Blackberry wanted to leave the Sandleford because there were to many bucks, and not enough does, so he was one of the first to join Hazel and Fiver. When travellers faced a river, Blackberry came up with idea to use a piece of wood to take Fiver and Pipkin across the river as they were too tired to swim. This discovery saved their lives, but everyone, except for Fiver and Blackberry himself, didn't understand the meaning of this and forgot about it soon. During the journey Blackberry, didn't oppose Hazel's authority, while Acorn, Hawkbit, and Speedwell did, but later he admitted that he, like others, was tired and confused, so he began to wonder whether Hazel knew where they were going. When the rabbits reached fields near Cowslip's warren, Blackberry realized that Hazel lead them well. Blackberry, then, was the first to call Hazel the Chief Rabbit. Later Hazel often took advice from Blackberry. For example, when Cowslip invited rabbits into his warren, Hazel consulted with Blackberry, Bigwig and Fiver, and it was Blackberry who said that they should go and rest in Cowslip's warren. In the Warren, Blackberry, Hazel, and Fiver felt that there was something wrong with those rabbits, but he didn't realize the real danger. When Bigwig was caught by the shining wire, Blackberry was the first who understood the meaning of what he said, "Dig out the peg", and managed to rescue Bigwig. When they reached Watership Down Blackberry admitted that they had much to learn about it. It was his idea not to live in the small and cold hole that the rabbits found there, but to dig a deep, safe, and comfortable warren for themselves under a Beach Tree, despite the fact that bucks don't dig. Hazel, Fiver, and Pipkin liked the idea, and so they built Watership Down Warren. During the raid on Nuthanger Farm Blackberry and Bigwig freed hutch rabbits by biting through leather hinges and twisting a nail on rabbits' cage, and then escorted two hutch rabbits, Clover and Boxwood, to the Down. Blackberry felt guilty for leaving Hazel on the farm, so later, he returned with Fiver to find him. After Captain Holly's return from Efrafa, Blackberry, Fiver and Hazel worked out a plan of rescuing some Efrafan does. There were three points of the plan: to get the does out of Efrafa, to break up the pursuit, and to escape to Watership Down. Together, the rabbits thought out how to solve first two problems, but not the third one. Fortunately, on their way to Efrafa rabbits saw a boat on the great river, and Blackberry, with the help of Fiver and Kehaar, came up with idea to use the boat to escape by water like they used a piece of wood to cross the river. Due to the fast stream Blackberry's trick worked well and rabbits were drifted far away from Efrafa. When General Woundwort, and his Owsla, attacked Watership Down, Hazel chose Blackberry and Dandelion, the two fastest rabbits, to lead the dog, Bob, from Nuthanger Farm to the Down. One time Bob almost lost interest to rabbits, but Blackberry managed to draw it's attention and lead it to the Down. After Efrafa's defeat, Blackberry settled on Watership Down with his friends. Film Blackberry's character didn't changed much in the film version - he remains the same cunning and fast rabbit, Hazel's advisor and assistant. His image is depicted, as most of the characters, in a fairly realistic manner. Blackberry was voiced by Simon Cadell in the film. TV series ''"I'd go with the Black Rabbit, if it meant peace and freedom for all of us" - Blackberry before the last battle with General Woundwort. In contrast to the book, Blackberry is, controversially, portrayed as a female, due to a lack of female rabbits in the original novel. Like in the book, Blackberry is very clever and came up with ideas of using a piece of wood and a boat in the episode 1 and 7. Blackberry has skills in herbs and also referred to as the digging expert. She is the only doe to go to Watership Down with Hazel and the others. When the rabbits begin to settle into their new home on the down in the episode two, problems become apparent because the burrows need digging, but Blackberry is the only doe, and bucks don't dig. Hazel and Fiver managed to persuade other bucks to help Blackberry, but it remains she who did the lion's share of work and guide all the works. When in the episode 11, rabbits found a strange hole in their back burrows, Blackberry decided to dig a way downward to save Hazel, Fiver and Hawkbit who fell into the hole. So the cavern tunnel to Efrafa was found, which later was often used by rabbits. Blackberry also appears in almost every episode of TV series, but play a minor role. However, she becomes one of the leading characters begining with episode 26 when Campion visited Watership Down in order to warn rabbits about Vervain finding their secret tunnel to Efrafa. Campion and Blackberry very quickly fall in love at first sight, as she explains her plan to bring down a rock to block the passage. Unfortunately, Campion was crushed beneath a rock in the process of saving Woundwort, and Blackbery felt devastated, not knowing that the brave Efrafan Captain survived. Blackberry began to suspect something when she paid attention on Pipkin's strange behaviour and found fresh Campoin's tracks. Under these circumstances, Pipkin was forced to confess that he found wounded Campion and saved his life. Blackberry runs off to find Campion. When she found him, she told him she loves him, despite the scars, but Campion told Blackberry he cannot be with her because he's been touched by the Black Rabbit of Inle and didn't want Blackberry to suffer, and then ran off. Blackberry was rejoined with Campion when she was captured by General Woundwort's soldiers and taken prisoner in Darkhaven. Campion tried to help her to escape with another rabbit, Silverweed, but Blackberry stayed with Campion because she didn't want to cause any trouble for him. But her troubles only began. A Darkhaven doe Spartina was sent by Woundwort to befriend Hazel and the others and act as a spy for him. Before she left, she informed rabbit named Granite that if she does not return to Darkhaven by the next full moon, he must kill Blackberry.Nor Spartina, neither Granite knew that Blackberry would save Granite's life when the male got injured while chasing Blackberry. But Darkhaven law forbid to show mercy and Vervain ordered to punish Blackberry for it, and only Campion managed to save her. When Spartina didn't return, Granite felt that he can't kill Blackberry, so he tried to help her escape out of gratitude, but failed as Blackberry was caught by General Woundwort, who found out of Campion's betrayal and used Blackberry to make him confess where Watership Down is and to lead his army into battle there. However, Campion, Blackberry and Spartina managed to escape from Woundwort with help of Hannah, Skree and some bats. They fought in the battle with Woundwort and at the end of the series Blackberry and Campion settled on Watership Down together. (Note: it may possible that blackberry had a crush on hazel) In a fanfiction created by a writer on the net, Blackberry becomes a main character. In the continued four seasons she has a litter of kittens and becomes the target of an intensive mind game by the enemy mystic, Cloud. Category:Rabbits Category:Males Category:Females Category:Watership Down (book) characters Category:Film characters Category:TV series characters Category:Does Category:Bucks